Poison Veil
by Prince-san
Summary: Anko Mitarashi leads a Genin cell consisting of Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Hinata. Slight hints at SasuHina thrown in.
1. Anko Mitarashi

**"Poison Veil" – By: Kiba Inubake**

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So it's finally here...! I hope you all like it! Honestly, I don't think I'm suited for this serious stuff. I think I'm better at crack humor. But then again...this is a chance for you to prove me wrong, now isn't it?

Oh, and the original characters I put in Squad 10 will probably have their own story someday. They've got a lot of potential (especially Shigure, which you'll find out in the Chunin Exams or sooner), so I think I'll go through with my idea.

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**Chapter 1: "Anko Mitarashi"**

Sunlight streamed into the apartment the remaining Uchiha resided in. Waken up by the orange glow, Sasuke rubbed his eyes and placed a foot onto the floor. He sauntered out of his room and proceeded to descending the stairs, half-asleep. Now on the first floor, he went into his kitchen and poured a cold glass of water. Drinking a refreshing beverage, he peered over to his calendar. He noticed the symbols he had scribbled down in today's box, and he had instantly remembered why it was so important—today was the day he graduated from the ninja academy.

He dashed back up to his room, eager to get off to a good start. Behind his cool attitude remained the cheerful spirit he used to show publically back when his clan was still around. Sasuke took a quick shower, then slipped into his usual attire and sped out the door. He couldn't wait for the day to start.

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Upon entering the building, he was immediately cornered by fangirls. Annoyed, he pushed his way through the wild crowd and took the seat closest to him. Next to him was Hinata, one of the only girls who didn't obsess over him; one of the only girls he actually liked, really. Seated to her left was Shikamaru. One day Sasuke had overheard the two teachers, Iruka and Mizuki, discussing the Nara boy. Apparently he was the prodigy of his clan, with an IQ of roughly 200. Sasuke had no clue as to how that was even possible for another kid his age, but he didn't really care all that much. Despite his sheer laziness, he respected him. He wouldn't mind being on a squad with him.

His silence was disrupted by a voice coming from the lower section of the room. "Attention, everyone!" Within seconds, all eyes were turned toward their teacher, Iruka. No one had noticed with the exception of the Uchiha, but Iruka and his partner Mizuki had been setting Leaf headbands upon the table. Hinata was busy staring at her blonde crush, and Shikamaru seemed to be sleeping. Everyone else had been in conversations with other students. "The results are in from your tests from yesterday, and we have good news—all of you passed!" As Iruka finished, the room filled with cheers. "Now then," Mizuki picked up, "we will announce the squads. You will be paired with two others. When your names are called, come down here and pick up your headbands." Iruka proceeded to handle this part. He read off from a written list. "Squad 1 will consist of…"

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Moments later, he was down to the last 4 groups. "Squad 7: Sasuke Uchiha…" He perked up upon hearing his name. "…Hinata Hyuga, and Shikamaru Nara. Your sensei is Anko Mitarashi." The three Genin stood up and stepped down the stairs. Once at the table, the three ninja exchanged gazes of acknowledgement. Hinata smiled shyly, Shikamaru yawned, and Sasuke smirked. Grabbing headbands, they walked back to their row.

"Squad 8 will be Ino Yamanaka, Naruto Uzumaki, and Choji Akimichi. You will be led by Asuma Sarutobi," Iruka announced. Naruto and Choji smiled warmly, but Ino seemed a tad upset. Proceeding to collect their headbands, Iruka went on to announce the two remaining squads.

"In Squad 9 will be Kiba Inuzuka, Sakura Haruno, and Shino Aburame. Your sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi." Like the other six, they first acknowledged each other (though Kiba and Sakura started to have second thoughts about Shino when they saw no reaction from him when a bug crawled across his face) and went on ahead to pick up their headbands.

Finally, Iruka was at the end of the list. (Entering the original characters…) "And the last squad will consist of Shigure Yozora, Kaijin Tobihi, and Suigin Issui." The last three graduates filed out of their row and took to the stairs. Shigure's smirk was ignited as he reached for his headband. Sasuke and Shigure were alike in many ways; talented, smart, good-looking, and both were prodigies of their clan, except Shigure knew how to handle a sword. Sasuke saw him as a rival. He noticed Suigin receive a headband second. Suigin seemed to be the friendliest of his squad. In a way, though, Suigin reminded him of Hinata; the two of them were soft-spoken, shy, and kind-hearted. Sasuke had spoken to Suigin a few times, but they never had a conversation. And last to take a headband was Kaijin. Kaijin's hair was unforgettable; it was as red as the Uchiha clan's fan. Sasuke had seen him training at Training Ground #3 a few times, practicing Katon jutsu by the water, just like he did. Just like his clan's name implied, watching Kaijin train was like watching flames dance over a field. "Your sensei is Hayate Gekkou."

Now it was Mizuki's turn. "Your sensei will be here to pick you up momentarily." About 40 seconds later, someone crashed through the window, pulling in everyone's attention.

"Anko Mitarashi, here to pick up Squad 7!!" She exclaimed with a wide grin. She was wearing all fishnet clothes (secretly to Sasuke's delight) with the censorship factor adding a concealing overcoat. Sasuke couldn't stop staring, until he noticed the rest of his team getting up. Trying to hide a blush, he slowly walked down toward his new sensei. –**End of Chapter

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Well, how did I do? Please review; I appreciate each one. Oh, and about the name... Credit goes to Burai007. You can go ahead and think of anything for the name's meaning, but one way I see it as is a poisonous snake wrapping around Sasuke or Anko. Of course, there could be many more, but that's the first thing I thought of when I heard it, and it seems to fit well, wouldn't you say?


	2. Survival Exam

**"Poison Veil" – By: Kiba Inubake**

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Chapter 2 turned out exactly as planned! Wow...that's a first, actually. Hahahah...!

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**Chapter 2: "Survival Exam"**

Anko had led her new squad to the Forest of Death, or as she addressed it by its proper name, Training Ground #44.

"All right, listen up!" She exclaimed, attention turning to her. "I've taken you here to test your skills. I'll give you some time to roam around, but from then on, I'll be hunting you down…!!" She licked her lips, absorbing her kouhais' startled expressions.

"W-what do you m-mean, Sensei…?" Hinata managed to stutter out.

"I mean, I'll give you twenty minutes to get away from me, but once your time has run out, you'll have to elude me, or you'll have failed!" Anko explained. Hinata felt insecure, Sasuke smirked, and Shikamaru sighed. "Oh, and your head start begins…now!" In an instant, her team had fled into the forest.

Poor things. They never had a chance.

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Anko stepped into the arena. "This is gonna be fun!" She took a scroll out from her side pocket. Opening it, she bit her thumb and smeared her blood onto the paper. With a puff of smoke clouding the surroundings, black and purple snakes invaded the scene. "Take off!" Their summoner commanded. They knew what she meant; the only time her snakes were called on in a group in this specific location was when she wanted them to find the only other human beings in the vicinity.

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Now well into the dense training ground, Squad 7 had stopped to contemplate tactics in a clearing.

"Mmm…I think I have something," Shikamaru said. Despite his closed eyes, he felt attention beating down on him. "Hinata, you can use the Byakugan to locate Anko-sensei, am I right? If we can find her, I can paralyze her until you block her tenketsu. If we can utterly stop her chakra flow, we can win this battle." Within not even a second, his genius plan was accepted and applauded.

"Heh…nice, Shikamaru—but what's _my_ role?" Sasuke questioned.

"Well…" His fellow prodigy started, "If you were to act, the only thing you could pull off is injury, and harming our sensei is pointless."

"Hunh…" Sasuke contemplated. "…Okay, but what if there's a variable? Anko is known for her ability to summon snakes."

Hinata actually spoke up. "S…snakes?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied. "I'll take out any that come by, I guess."

"All right, then we've got a plan. Hinata…" Shikamaru motioned for her to act.

"Right." She activated her Byakugan, revealing veins that Sasuke secretly wanted to vomit at the sight of. Back to Hinata—she looked around, and picked up on a small presence quickly charging at them. Could it be a snake? She immediately reported to her teammates. "I feel something coming from over there," Hinata pointed directly in front of her.

"I'll take care of this!" Sasuke shouted, jumping into action. He leaped into the trees, and noticed something rustling through the underbrush toward his friends. He grabbed three shuriken from the pouch on his leg and thrust them, making sure the threat was caught dead in its tracks. And what better way to do so than to stab it with a wall of shuriken?

A tiny cloud of smoke came into existence, but faded away soon enough. Sasuke returned to the clearing and asked Hinata if she felt anything else heading their way. She responded no, but suddenly changed her answer to yes.

"Yes, I see it now! Anko-sensei is coming toward us, from the exact area you attacked the snake at," Hinata told him.

"Okay, then let's get ready. Sasuke, stand clear. Hinata, get ready," Shikamaru ordered. He made the rat hand symbol, and instantly his shadow extended. "Just a little closer, and…"

Right on cue, their violet-headed senpai charged into the scene, and landing right onto Shikamaru's trap. "...Gotcha!"

"Huh?! What…?" Anko couldn't believe she had been caught, or how disastrous this would be for her. Her pale female kouhai began poking her chakra points, delivering great pain, and further paralysis. "Ugh…!" She winced at what felt like torture. In seconds, she was completely immobile. And to Shikamaru's dismay, so was he. His teammate began to fix the problem she unknowingly thrust onto him, poking him all over a second time.

"You should consider learning medical jutsu, so you won't hurt Shikamaru next time," Sasuke laughed. This was the first time anyone had heard him laugh so playfully ever since the Uchiha incident.

"Heh…you got me…" Anko admitted. "You've successfully beaten me... You should hold your heads up high, because I officially declare you three real ninja!" She grinned, lighting up the faces of her students. "Now…could you help me out a bit, Hinata?" **–End of Chapter!!

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I had Squad 7's tactic planned for at least 3 weeks now, haha. I'm glad I could use it so early. Though, this means I'll have to think of new material... Heh, comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated, even from non-members.


	3. Toxic Cloak

**"Poison Veil" **– **By: Kiba Inubake**

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It's short, I know. But I wanted Sasuke to learn summoning early on in the story. Anyway, here it is.

Much inspiration was from episodes 53-54 of the (Japanese) Naruto anime.

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**Chapter 3: "Toxic Cloak"**

The sun hadn't even risen yet, and Sasuke was already being called on by his sensei. He dragged his exhausted body to Training Ground #44. His hair a mess, he blinked sleepily, brimming with murderous intent. It was safe to say he wasn't a morning person. (A/N: Sasuke was told to meet Anko at the Forest of Death at 4:00 AM the next morning; that said, this does not contradict his early start in the first chapter.) He sat down—or rather collapsed—on a soft patch of dark green grass. The blades tickled his skin.

"So, you're here!" Sasuke looked behind him to see Anko grinning, perched on a sturdy branch high above him. "I'm glad you're committed. Now…" Anko flung herself down to Sasuke's eye level. "…I want to teach you how to summon support."

Sasuke seemed to snap into focus. "Summoning jutsu…?" His mind drifted into a fantasy, imagining being able to summon snakes. "…Teach me, Anko-sensei."

She grinned. "Now that's the spirit! First I'll show you. Watch carefully." Biting her right thumb, she wiped the resulting blood across her left palm, and thrust it onto the ground. An immense cloud of smoke shrouded Anko, and when it cleared, she was standing on the curled body of a black snake about Sasuke's height at the moment. The snake's protruding tongue wrapped around a scroll, which it then lowered and offered to the Uchiha boy, who accepted it. "Open that scroll," Anko said. "That's the contract of the snakes for summoning purposes. It's been passed down for many generations, and now I have it."

Sasuke proceeded to opening it. "First, write your name down with your blood. And beneath that, put down your handprint. Got it?" Anko informed him. Gazing over the list of names, he worked his way down to a free space. He then bit his thumb as his sensei did and did as he was told. "The seals are Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, and Ram. Go ahead and try it out, Sasuke."

"Heh, I'm already trying," Sasuke replied somewhat rudely. Making the seals, he threw his palm to the ground. "Summoning jutsu…!" Their vision was clouded by an obscuring smokescreen. And sure enough, the prodigy has succeeded yet again. Sasuke now stood atop the head of a dark green serpent twice the size of Anko's.

Anko gazed in elation. "Now that puts me in a good mood!" With a big smile, she hopped onto the other snake and put an arm around Sasuke, bringing him close to her. "I'm buyin' you dumplings today!" **–End of Chapter!!

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I admit, I took some dialogue from episode 54. At least my research was put to good use, right? Heh, please review.


	4. New Mission: Journey to Kawa no Kuni!

"**Poison Veil" **– **By: Kiba Inubake****

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The next few chapters should be fun to write...! I love having adventure scenes in my work. And for your sake, I hope you do too, 'cause you'll be seeing a lot of them in this story...! ;)

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**Chapter 4: "New Mission: Journey to Kawa no Kuni!"**

As promised, Anko treated Sasuke to the Amaguriama's specialty, sweet dumplings. Taking a seat on one of the numerous benches, Sasuke bit into his dumpling. His eyes grew big, and…he almost purged at the sweetness of it. He instantaneously turned his head away to hide his disdain from his sensei, but unfortunately, Anko caught on.

"What, you don't like 'em?" She asked, seemingly unaffected by his preference.

"Sorry, Anko-sensei… I don't have much of a sweet tooth," Sasuke replied. "Uh…so, what's with that mark?" He referred to her curse mark, in an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh…you mean this old thing?" She stared at her curse mark, while nibbling on a dumpling. "I…got this when I was about your age. But…I don't really want to talk about it…" She stared down at her legs, dangling just above the ground.

"…I see…" Sasuke understood. "Then, can you tell me about your childhood? I want to know more about you, sensei." It was as if he knew just what to say, because Anko suddenly burst into elation, like how a flower blossoms once sunlight shines down on it.

"You're not bad, kiddo!" She smiled. "Now! When I was younger, I had dreams of becoming a strong kunoichi, so…I ventured the lands with the Sannin Orochimaru," Anko told, though she lost some enthusiasm after she paused. Shaking her head briskly, she resumed her tale.

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"Ah…I see," Sasuke said despondently. "I'm sorry to hear that, sensei." His sensei had told him the story of her ending with Orochimaru, and how she got her curse mark.

"Yeah…well…" Anko was at a loss of words. "…Sasuke, do you have any idea why I _**really**_ taught you how to summon?" She asked, changing the subject.

Sasuke had been wondering this, actually. He wasn't sure why, so he had spent some time contemplating this. "Is it…because we've got a mission that requires that skill?"

"Bingo!!" Anko exclaimed. "…Well, actually, it doesn't require it, but it's always a good skill."

Sasuke laughed blithely, something he hadn't done in public in years. "Well, all right, then," He replied, still laughing. Once he stopped his giggling, he asked, "What's our mission entailing, sensei?"

Anko grinned. "Just wait until Shikamaru and Hinata meet up with us," She told him. He had forgotten his comrades were assembling here at Amaguriama. "Then I'll tell you, Sasuke."

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Half an hour later, Shikamaru and Hinata had appeared. "H-hello, Anko-sensei…Sasuke…" The heiress greeted. Shikamaru simply waved his hand. He seemed to be sleepwalking, judging from his closed eyes.

"Hi, Hinata, and wake up, Shikamaru," Anko said in turn. Shikamaru opened his eyes reluctantly. Sasuke smirked in a friendly way…because only Sasuke (and me, actually…) would consider a confident smirk a form of greeting. "Now, as I was just telling Sasuke a little while ago, we've got our first mission. It just so happens to be a C-Rank mission, too!" Anko exclaimed, taking in the surprised expressions of her students—except for Sasuke's inexhaustible smirk, that is.

"A C-Rank mission? But isn't that kind of dangerous? I mean, we just got out of the academy," Shikamaru questioned.

"Based on your skill in teamwork and your tactics, I decided it would be a good challenge for you," Their somewhat-insane senpai explained. "Besides, it's only a trip to the River Country."

Hinata was a tad confused, as was everyone else. "K-Kawa no Kuni? What will we be doing there?"

"We're escorting a young boy to the Katabami Gold Mine," Anko elaborated. "Apparently he and his older companion were separated, or something…" She mumbled.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "All the way down there…?"

"Yep, but it's only an escort mission, so there shouldn't be much treachery," Anko reassured, using her peripherals to look at her lazy ass of a student. "We depart tomorrow morning; we're meeting with the client at the Hokage's mansion, so be there at around 8:00, all right?"

The three students all chorused, "Got it," although Hinata stuttered, and threw them off. **–End of chapter!!**

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Like I hinted...! I can't wait to get this next chapter started. Oh, and based on the location I described, tell me if you know who the client is! If you get it right before I make the next chapter (I'll wait a few days to be fair), I'll feature your name here in the ending Author's Notes section.


	5. The Adventure Begins

**"Poison Veil" – By: Kiba Inubake**

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Well. The Sasuke we all know and loathe is finally gone...! You'll understand what I mean soon enough...

Also, I want to congratulate WielderoftheSharingan for his knowledge. (Though you just went to LeafNinja, didn't you?) Heh, I've been wanting to bring back that pair for a while now, actually. And so here they are...!

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**Chapter 5: "The Adventure Begins****"**

As told, the Genin of Squad 7 met up in front of the Hokage's building. Sasuke had seen Hinata leaving the Hyuga estate, and so they walked together. They managed to arrive a few minutes early. Shikamaru, on the other hand, had nearly been late; he sluggishly made his way over to his two comrades not even a minute before Anko appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey!" Anko greeted, grinning. She had leaped from one of the overhanging tree branches, unbeknownst to her cell. "You guys excited? This is an important mission, so do your best!" She motioned for them to go into the building.

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Anko peered into the open office of the Hokage. "Squad 7, reporting for duty, Lord Hokage!" She announced enthusiastically.

"Ah, good morning, Anko, Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru," Sarutobi smiled warmly. "Come in." They stepped into the room and gathered around his desk. "Now, you'll be taking on the escort mission, correct?"

"That's right," Anko confirmed. "We're ready for it, Lord Hokage."

"Good! Then, you may come in, Ranmaru," Sarutobi said. Squad 7's attention turned towards the door, and on cue, a small, purple-haired boy with the most unnatural eye color stepped into the room. Sasuke narrowed his gaze and examined Ranmaru's eyes closely. _'That can't be a natural color… It's gotta be due to a Kekkei Genkai…'_

"Um…hello…" The boy said softly, shuffling his feet. "My name is Ranmaru." His shyness was almost exactly like Hinata's, Shikamaru noted, looking at one to the other constantly.

While Anko, Hinata, and Shikamaru conversed with Ranmaru, Sasuke lingered back and focused on the boy's eyes. _'I've never seen anything like that before…'_

"Is there something on your mind, Sasuke?" The Uchiha snapped out of his thoughts and turned to his village leader.

"N-no, it's nothing," Sasuke replied quickly. Lucky for him, the others in the room didn't seem to notice him and the Hokage talking.

"…You have your doubts about the boy, don't you?" Sarutobi inferred.

"..." Sasuke was silent as he looked down. He sighed and replied, "…Yes. It's just…his eyes intrigue me. Have…have you ever—"

"Hey, Sasuke!" The two were interrupted by Shikamaru. "We'll be outside," He said as the rest of his team and their client left the room.

Sarutobi decided to end the conversation. "You best be going now, Sasuke. Good luck!"

Though disappointed, Sasuke nodded, and departed.

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The five walked down the road in complete silence. They decided it would be best to focus on the mission and constantly study their surroundings, rather than talk and let an enemy's presence slip by them. Sasuke had suggested this, being the introverted person he was.

"Hinata," Sasuke said. "This has been bugging me for a while now… I just want to know if anyone's around, so would you mind using your _Byakugan_?" He emphasized her bloodline trait to see if he could get a reaction out of Ranmaru—and sure enough, he did; Ranmaru froze up and quivered fervently. Sasuke peered over at him using his peripherals, and locked eyes with his target. Ranmaru stopped right as he was noticed, but it didn't get by Sasuke.

"Um…o-okay…" Hinata closed her eyes and activated her Byakugan. Sasuke hadn't thought she would actually pick up any presences, but as it turns out…he was wrong.

"I-I see someone! Hiding in the bushes to our left!" Hinata cried. "And…no, there are three! I see three people, and they have kunai in their hands!"

Ranmaru's eyes widened to their full extent. He whispered, "Oh, no…"

"Don't worry, kid," Anko reassured, placing her hand on his shoulder. "We'll take care of this." Anko sprinted off into the forest.

'_That's not exactly what I meant…'_ Ranmaru thought. _'They must be here because of…'_

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Meanwhile, the three people Hinata had noticed (about 50 meters away) were attaching paper bombs to their kunai. They were about to make their attack, but a busty and seemingly slutty woman with outrageous hair swooped down from the trees and took them out.

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"Okay, talk," Anko demanded. Back when she had attacked them, she smacked their heads against thick trees, and knocked them unconscious. An erratic woman she is. So then she proceeded to tying them up with some rope she had found in their bags.

Having regained consciousness, the tied-up enemies—which were discovered to be two men and a woman—gave in. One of the men, which was distinguished by a long, gray upside-down V mustache, was the first to speak. "We were only obeying orders…!"

Anko narrowed her gaze. "What do you mean?"

"We were following our boss's instructions—to kill the kid with the red eyes!" The other, mustache-less man, explained. Ranmaru gulped.

"And, _why_ exactly do you need to kill him?" Anko continued her interrogation.

"Because he's in league with Raiga Kurosuki!" The woman blurted out.

"Raiga Kurosuki, hmm…?" Anko averted her line of sight to Ranmaru. "_**You're**_ a member of the Kurosuki family?" She asked, almost mockingly.

Ranmaru looked hurt. He shook his head, "No…! Raiga and I are one! I am his eyes…! And he is my body!"

Anko's expression changed from disdain to confusion. "What…? Kid, you're not making sense."

"Sensei!" Sasuke interrupted. "Stop… I think I know what he means," Sasuke said, recollecting on his days when Itachi was still around, back when he had an older brother who cared about him and loved him. He clenched his fists, shook his head, and lifted it to lock eyes with Ranmaru. Tears streamed down Sasuke's face as he trembled with sorrow. "Ranmaru…! I'll reunite you with Raiga, no matter **what** it costs me…!!" He vowed passionately. Ranmaru almost cried from elation. An amazingly broad smile swept over Ranmaru's face.

"Th-thank you…! Thank you so much!!" Ranmaru exclaimed.

'_Would you look at that… Sasuke __**does**__ care for people,'_ Shikamaru learned.

'_S…Sasuke? I've never seen you like this… It's…it's as if you and Naruto…'_ Hinata gasped, realizing she unearthed a great discovery.

"…Anyway…" A cloud of smoke appeared, and when it dissipated, revealed a long, purple snake. It wrapped around the assassins and bared its fangs. To say the least, the woman no longer had dry pants. "…tell us more about this boss of yours, or my friend here'll inject venom into your blood streams." The snake tightened its grip.

"Okay! Okay! We'll talk!" The woman cried. She sighed, "See…a few years ago, our boss's friend was "given a funeral" by the Kurosuki family. He never forgave them, so since then, he's waited for his chance to get revenge. He organized an assassination group, and sent us out to return the favor to someone Raiga loved."

"Is that so…" Anko said under her breath.

"His name is Kokuun Kaitei. You can find his hideout near the Katabami goldmine," The mustached man added.

"Okay, then… You can go now, Ritoru," Anko said to her snake, which vanished after she was given permission to leave. Anko turned to her group. "Ready to go?" –**End of Chapter.

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Touching moment, don't you think? If you're wondering why Sasuke seemed almost exactly like Naruto in this chapter…that's because he is. Think about it—underneath all of Sasuke's introversion and distress, he and Naruto think exactly alike. They would never leave behind a comrade; they would do anything to make someone happy… They're the same. They're exactly the same…


	6. Jiken

**"Poison Veil" – By: Kiba Inubake**

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I hope you like chapter 6! It's more or less of a filler, but it develops Sasuke and Hinata's characters, and so I think it's appropriate. After all, it's necessary at this point in order to keep the balance of the story in line. Anyway, enjoy!

By the way, "jiken" translates to "event", and so I thought it was fitting for that moment at the restaurant. Just wanted to share that.

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**Chapter 6: "Jiken"**

Soon enough, Squad 7 and Ranmaru reached the border of Kawa no Kuni. They followed a dirt path there, and not much scenery was about them. It was pretty much a wasteland, only it led to somewhere. Despite the road coming from the Land of Fire, the trail had been an utter eyesore a good portion of the way.

"All right, kiddos. We've made it in," Anko informed the group. "Now we just head a little more west, and we'll get there shortly."

"We're close, sensei," Hinata spoke up, her eye veins apparent from usage of the Byakugan. "By the looks of it, we could get there in about 15 minutes if we ran; it'll take us 2 hours if we walk."

The group looked amongst each other in decision. Shikamaru promptly spoke his mind, "I'm not waiting 2 hours when we could get there in 15 minutes. Let's run." And with that, he took off. He was almost sure they would follow, so he played the impatient card because he knew his group wouldn't let him run off that easily. Fooling people seemed to be easy for the Nara boy.

Sasuke had been observing his teammates recently, in an attempt to be able to read their minds and predict their actions. So naturally, he had realized what Shikamaru was doing. "Heh… Shikamaru's pretty clever…" Sasuke commented as the rest of the group took off after him. He then proceeded to dash down the dirt road.

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Anko's group was nearing Katabami Kinzan. Hinata activated her Byakugan to get exact measurements. "…We're really close now, sensei. I see a river flowing down the side of a mountain. I'm not sure, but I think that's the goldmine." Hinata gave out a small cough.

"You all right, Hinata?" Sasuke asked. He didn't know why he asked her that; it just came out of him on impulse. He wondered why he was concerned.

With another cough, Hinata replied, "Oh… I-I'm fine… Please don't w-worry about m-me…" Following her stuttering was a third cough. "Well…I am a little thirsty, actually…"

"Hey, didn't we pass a restaurant a few minutes ago? I noticed some kind of place, but I didn't stop to check it out well," Sasuke mentioned. "Maybe we could get something there." His stomach growled as if on cue. Embarrassed, Sasuke admitted, "I…guess I wouldn't mind some food right about now, either…"

"What do you think, kiddo?" Anko turned to Ranmaru. "You wanna stop for some food?"

Ranmaru answered, "Um…okay, I suppose we could stop… You did help me get here, anyway…"

"Smart way to look at it, kid!" Anko said cheerfully.

'_Was she planning to stop either way..?'_ Sasuke questioned.

Hinata used her Kekkei Genkai once more. She looked back in the direction they had come from. "I see that building… Ah, yes, one of the signs says "Curry of Life". It sounds good."

"Great, sounds like it'll make you feel better, too!" Anko commented. "This is _too_ convenient…!" She said happily.

* * *

An elderly woman stared out the window. She turned and called to her assistant, "Karashi! It looks like we have some customers! Get the curry ready!"

"All right, I'll get on it…" A teenage boy replied lazily. He turned the stove on and poured ingredients into a big, stainless-steel pot. He stirred it around, and just as the curry was ready, the customers walked into the eatery.

"Hey there! Can we get five bowls of curry?" Anko greeted.

"Coming right up!" The elderly woman responded. "My name's Sanshou and this is Karashi." She pointed to the boy by the curry pot, who flashed a smile, and then started pouring spicy curry over white rice.

Karashi put the plates on a big platter and took it over to the table which their customers were seated at. He gave them their dishes while Sanshou handed them glasses of milk. "You'll need this," Sanshou said, referring to the milk. "It's really spicy!"

As Sanshou was turning around, she heard Hinata cough. "Are you sick, dearie? This curry should do just the trick to cure you," Sanshou said.

Hinata gave a sigh of relief. "That's great…" Although she was happy, she still spoke in her usual, impish voice. Sasuke noticed this and felt the need to speak up.

"Hinata? Why do you always sound like you're sad?" He asked her curiously.

Hinata looked into her curry. "Oh… Um… I c-can't really help that, S-Sasuke…" She answered through stutters. "It's not that I'm always sad; it's just…" Her voice trailed off into inaudible mumbling, and soon she was coughing again.

"Hinata, you should probably taste that curry right about now," Shikamaru advised.

"O-oh, right…" Hinata said quietly. She took a spoonful of curry and rice, brought it to her soft lips, took a bite…and surprisingly reacted normally. "It's delicious…!" She commented.

"Really?" Sasuke took a spoonful, but his reaction was much different. Instead, he was now clenching his throat, seemingly dying. Sweat dripped down his face as he collapsed to the floor, trying to maintain his consciousness. Shikamaru and Anko took a long stare at him, and pushed away their dishes subtly. Ranmaru, however, took a bite and seemed to enjoy it, like the Hyuga girl had. Anko and Shikamaru were now at a loss, stuck between what to do with their food.

"Uh…so, how much do we owe you?" Anko asked the two.

Karashi answered first. "You're our first guests in a while, so the first round's on the house."

"Wow, thanks!" Anko grinned gaily.

"So, should we help him out, or…?" Ranmaru took a long look at Sasuke, who looked like he was near death.

"A-ah…! I hadn't even noticed!" Hinata cried. She took her glass of milk and poured it down Sasuke's throat. Some dripped onto his shirt, but it was okay with him, because he was no longer in fear of premature demise by food. The rest of the group wondered how she didn't notice the second-most egotistical Genin of Konoha rolling on the floor from thirst.

"H…Hinata, thank you…" Sasuke said, almost in disbelief. He had never expected her to do something like this.

Hinata tried to hide a blush with her hair. "I-it was nothing…" She got off of him and sat back down, her hair still obscuring her face.

"So, should we get going, then?" Shikamaru brought up. **–End of Chapter!

* * *

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I hope you all like fluff, 'cause I do. ^^


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